JUNE 17 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenia’s public services regulator approved a 17% increase in electricity prices, the third in two years. The price increase has angered people in Armenia and opposition parties have called for protests.
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(News report from Issue No. 236, published on June 18 2015)
TBILISI/GEORGIA, JUNE 11 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — To David Gabunia, a well-known Georgian musician, it just doesn’t make sense.
“When you cut down gorgeous big old trees, they let you get away with it,” he said referring to a tree cutting programme by Tbilisi city council. “But when you take a small weed and smoke it, they’ll put you in jail for many years.”
And he’s not alone in pondering this apparent quandary.
Several thousand people across Georgia joined demonstrations and signed online petitions on June 2 calling for the government to reduce harsh laws governing marijuana use.
The largest protest was in Tbilisi, where several hundred people attended a protest in the centre of the city.
Georgia has a zero tolerance drug policy. Drug use is an administrative offence with fines up to 500 lari ($225) for first time offenders and a criminal offence with one year imprisonment for repeat offenders. Carrying small quantities of illegal substances, such as marijuana, can mean prison sentences of between 11 and 20 years, comparable to rape, human trafficking and murder.
Marijuana grows naturally in Georgia, and the Abkhazia version, from the west of the country, is particularly highly thought of. But in the dark days of 1990s post-independent Georgia, society’s view of drugs and their users changed and a zero tolerance policy was introduced.
Since 2013, though, rallies have been organised asking the government to rethink its policies on marijuana. But not everyone is convinced. The powerful Georgian Orthodox Church is staunchly against marijuana and PM Irakli Garibashili also said a couple of days after the rallies that decriminalisation would have disastrous consequences.
“This is an issue of principle, and we are obliged to realise its deplorable consequences. I am personally completely, categorically against it,” he said on his Facebook page.
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(News report from Issue No. 235, published on June 11 2015)
JUNE 11 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Dozens of young Azerbaijanis demonstrated outside the British embassy in Baku against what they described as double standards over criticism from London-based newspaper and human rights organisations of the European Games.
The protesters waved Azerbaijani flags and shouted: “England, avoid double standards!” according to media reports.
The protests appeared to be sanctioned by the authorities, perhaps as a counter demonstration to deflect from criticism generated by Azerbaijan’s crackdown on opposition activists and journalists.
London has become the main centre of criticism of Azerbaijan.
A group called Platform London published a book earlier this week titled: “All that Glitters Sport, BP and Repression in Azerbaijan”. BP is a major foriegn investor in Azerbaijan and is sponsoring the Games.
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(News report from Issue No. 235, published on June 11 2015)
JUNE 10 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Armenian government’s proposed increase of electricity tariffs has angered people in Armenia and triggered small-scale protests.
This is the third price rise in two years by the Russia-owned electricity company and activists said they planned a series of protests against it.
A Bulletin correspondent said around 50 people demonstrated in front of Armenia’s energy ministry in Yerevan.
Susan, 33, was one of the protesters.
“Because of their bad management and inappropriate work, they want us to struggle and pay high prices,” she said.
Hundreds had demonstrated in May through Yerevan against the proposed electricity price rises and a group calling themselves Against Robbery threatened more aggressive action.
“We are going to implement radical actions using all our rights stated by the laws,” the statement said.
The Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission it had received an application from the monopoly electricity company Electric Networks of Armenia to increase the cost of electricity by 40%.
The Commission said it was likely to agree the price rise by June 17, although it did not say whether it would approve the full 40% increase. It said electricity imports have become more expensive because of the falling value of the Armenian dram. Hydroelectric power generation has also dropped because of dry weather.
The parliament plans to debate the price rises on June 12 and the government has said it will subsidise the increase for the poorest families.
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(News report from Issue No. 235, published on June 11 2015)
MAY 12 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Around 140 people working for the oil services company KazStroyService have gone on strike in west Kazakhstan demanding an increase in wages, media reported. Kazakhstan is sensitive to strikes. In 2011, 16 people died during fighting between protesters and police at a strike in west Kazakhstan.
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(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)
APRIL 28 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Hundreds of small stall owners protested in Almaty after a fire ripped through a trading centre. The protest was one of the biggest acts of social discontent in Kazakhstan this year. There have been a number of suspect fires in trading centres in Almaty.
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(News report from Issue No. 229, published on April 29 2015)
APRIL 16 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Dozens of local contractors working at the Russian military base in south Tajikistan have gone on strike over unpaid wages, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported (RFE/RL). RFE/RL quoted an official at the base blaming a local contracting company.
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(News report from Issue No. 228, published on April 22 2015)
APRIL 10 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – In a rare anti-government protest in Kazakhstan, dozens of homeowners demonstrated in Astana about the extra pressure they are under to meet US dollar denominated mortgage repayments, media reported. The Central Bank cut the value of the tenge by about 20% this year and is under pressure to do so again as the rouble remains low.
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(News report from Issue No. 227, published on April 15 2015)
APRIL 5 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Around 1,000 people gathered on the outskirts of Baku to demonstrate against a stalling economy and a crackdown on civil rights. The authorities sanctioned the rally. Some opposition said the real aim was to nullify genuine anti-government protests.
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(News report from Issue No. 226, published on April 8 2015)
MARCH 21 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – In the largest rally for several years in Georgia, demonstrators accused the government of economic mismanagement and called on it to resign.
Media estimated that several thousand people attended the march in Tbilisi.
Nino Lomouri, a 28 year old Tbilisi resident who works for the opposition United National Movement party (UNM), explained why she attended the rally.
“Not only do I pay more now for food and cigarettes, I also feel unsafe on the streets, crime has gone up a lot,” she said.
During the march, UNM MP Giorgi Gabashvili said that the UNM would hold several more anti-government protests across the country.
Georgia has a history of political turbulence and analysts have said the current economic problems across the region may stoke instability.
And via a video-link from Kiev where he holds a position with the Ukraine government, former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili said he wanted to return and lead the country once again.
“I miss you all. I miss Georgia,” he said. “I believe I will overcome all obstacles and come back to save the country.”
Mr Saakashvili, who led Georgia between 2003 and 2013, loved and loathed in equal measures in Georgia.
The current government coalition has an arrest warrant out for Mr Saakashvili for various economic crimes.
Mr Saakashvili has said the charges are politically motivated and that he wont return to Georgia until they are dropped. Several of his colleagues have been jailed for similar crimes.
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(News report from Issue No. 224, published on March 25 2015)